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Came to America about 1755
Hackers (Hatchers) Creek Randolph Co. VA, is now St. George Tucker Co. WVA
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Killed by indians on April 5, 1781 while returning from Clarksburg, VA where he entered a deed. Harrison County WV Deed Book 1:52,53.
Came to America aboard the ship "Mary" with his parents. Arrived Philadelphia, PA Sep. 8 1732. Settled in Lancaster County. Moved to (West) Virginia in 1774. Established a Fort called "Fort Minear."
Extensive accounts of his life can be found in "Histories of Tucker County, WV" by Hu Maxwell
From the book "The Monongalia Story - A Bicentennial History, II the Pioneers", by Earl L. Core, p.p. 74-76:
"Battle at Pringle's Ford. On April 5, six men from the Fort Minear settlement (now Saint George) were returning home on horseback from Clarksburg, where they had appeared before the board of land commissioners. They had located on valuable lands in the Cheat River valley and wanted to establish their ownership. The party was composed of John Minear, Daniel Cameron, Frederick Cooper, Salathiel Goff, Andrew Miller, and Henry Miller.
The trail ("Pringle's Packroad") from the West Fork and Buckhannon River areas crossed the Tygart Valley River at what was called Pringle's Ford (just below present Philippi); Ford Run flows into the river at that point. Here the Indians, hiding in thickets, ambushed the party. Fansler tells the story:
'The Indians....had been on a raid... where they killed several persons, and practically exterminated the Schoolcraft family, fifteen of which had either ben killed or carried into captivity within a space of seven years....
'The Indians hung a leather gun-case over the trail and positioned themselves in the thickets on either side. The Minear party....were riding single file with Minear in the lead. He was almost beneath the decoy when he saw it and stopped, which also halted the five riders behind him. The fact of an ambush flashed to his mind and he yelled out 'Indians!' but, too late, the momentary halt had given the Indians time to aim and, as Minear called out, the firing commenced. Horses and men fell together, Minear, Cameron and Cooper being killed on the spot. Goff and Andrew Miller were unhorsed and took to the woods. Henry Miller, who was riding the rear file, turned and fled back to Clarksburg without much difficulty, since he was mounted on a fleet horse and the Indians were afoot.
Andrew Miller ran up a steep hill with several Indians in pursuit, armed with knives and tomahawks, and yelling and gesticulating wildly. Had they exerted their energy in the chase instead of using it up by yelling and flinging their arms about, they undoubtedly would have caught Miller, but he made good his escape by reaching the crest of the hill fist and, with a downhill run, was able to outdistance them while they were still struggling to the crest.
Salathiel Goff, German immigrant, soldier of the Revolution, and 33 years of age at the time, made one of those storybook escapes. He ran for the river, in the opposite direction from the Millers, under the assumption that if the Indians chased them all it would divide their forces and reduce their effectiveness. Several Indians pursued him, confident of a speedy capture. At the river bank he doffed his coat to swim and then perceiving that it would be useless to do so, tossed his coat into the river and crawled into an otter den that just happened to be conveniently at hand. When the Indians reached the bank above him he learned, from their conversation, that they thought he had dived into the river and expected to see him rise at any moment. They saw his coat floating down the river and moved off to keep pace with it, thinking perhaps, that he had either drowned or was floating beneath his coat. As soon as they were out of sight Goff crawled from concealment and headed for Saint George, thirty miles away, which he reached that night, bringing the startling intelligence of the massacre to the astonished settlers."
In book I of this five part series, titled, "The Monangalia Story - A Bicentennial History, Prelude", p.p. 320- 321, there is more: ( the parts in single quotes are italicized in the book, as it is taken from another source, with the original spelling)
'John Menior is intitled to four hundred acres of land in Monongalia County on Cheat River opposite the mouth of Clover Run to include his Settlement made theron in the year 1776.' " John Minear was leader of the colony that settled at the mouth of Minear Run, Tucker County (Withers, 126). He supervised the construction of Fort Horseshoe and Fort Minear and was killed by the Indians in 1781 (Withers, 311; Fansler, 34, 53, 55, 58, 60, 61; Maxwel, 34-68)."
'Jonathan Manier is Intitled to two hundred acres of land in Monongalia County on the Cheat River below the mouth of Clover Run to include his Settlement made theron in the year 1776.' "Tucker County. Jonathan Minear was a son of John (p. 320), and was killed by the Indians at Jonathan Run in 1780 (Fansler, 31-35)."
There is also a great picture of a roadside historical marker at Saint George, which I assume is still there (this book was published in 1974). The marker reads, "FORT MINEAR Erected by John Minear in 1776, who with a group of immigrants later founded Saint George. Settlement attacked by Indian bands in spring of 1780 and in 1781. Minear and his son Jonathan among killed."
(From Bill Minear WAMINEAR@digiscape.com)
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Earliest records of Helen Repair Cox show first six(?) children born in Bucks County, PA. Pension papers of son, David, also give his birth place as Bucks County (Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, pension certificate 23,565, February 28, 1834, Survivors File 15932). In 1773, John Minear first went to the area that is now Tucker County, WV. In 1774 he led a party of 40 settlers to the Cheat River area; retreated to South branch of Potomac after Indian trouble and returned in 1776. Started settlement of Fort Minear; now St. George. In 1776 Minear built first saw mill west of Alleghenies, carrying machinery piece by piece from near Redhorse, MD. Was killed by Shawnees in 1781 while returning from Clarksburg where he filed land claims (Harrison Co., WV, Land Entry Book 1:52-53). Extensive accounts given in two Histories of Tucker County, WV; one by Hu Maxwell and the other by Homer Floyd Fansler, published 1884 and 1962. See also references given for Willhelm Minnir:
Evangelical Parrish House, Norbaden, Germany. Note: IGI gives birth place as
Sinsheim, Heidelberg, Baden. Settlement of estate refers to 184 acres patented by him 25 October 1786 (John David Davis, "Harrison County, [West] Virginia Deed Records, 1785-1810," Bowie, MD, Heritage Books, 1993, p. 151) and 92.25 acres same date (Davis, p. 240). Descendants include:
Helen Repair Cox, 1205 South Dr., St. Charles, MO 63301
Carl Nestor, Wolf Summit, WV
Katherine Streby, R.R. 1, Box 564, North Webster, IN
Oliver H. Muir, 936 Crespi Drive, Pacifica, CA 94044
Comment from Rev. Clarence Minear, June 1977:
The Minear farm at St. George contains 400 acres. Has been in the family
for 201 years. It is better now than when it was first formed
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